The Consumer Disputes Redressal forum in Punjab's Moga district has directed a Coca Cola bottling plant to pay more than Rs 100,000 in fines and damages for releasing a contaminated batch of soft drinks in the market.

A laboratory test found "foreign material injurious to health" in a 1.5 litre bottle of Coca Cola.

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The forum passed the order on Monday in relation to a complaint filed on November 22, 2002, by one Balwinder Singh, whose family became sick and had to be treated by a private doctor after consuming the impugned soft drink.

Singh submitted one of the two impugned soft drink bottles, in sealed condition, to the forum, which was sent for laboratory test at Chandigarh.

Based on the results of lab test that detected harmful material in the soft drink sample and after listening to the complainant and the respondents (including the retailer who sold the drinks), the forum directed the Coca Cola bottling plant at Baddi, Solan district, to deposit Rs 100,000 with the district Red Cross Society and Rs 10,000 as compensation to the complainant.

The retailer was also directed to compensate Rs 2,000 to the complainant.